


A Reunion of Two Wyrms

by SaphChan



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games), Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossover, Flashbacks, Gen, Give these boys some hugs please, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Embrace the Void Ending (Hollow Knight), Post-Episode: s06e19 I Am My Monster, Spoilers for both so yeah, Two boys become beasts and they both didn't want to happen, Wormy Bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23984644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaphChan/pseuds/SaphChan
Summary: The events of his corruption continue to haunt him, even though he is undergoing some recovery and planning his well needed therapy.Sometimes he wants to take time for himself away from others to recollect, but sometimes he wishes that he could be with someone who understands what he has been going through lately.His thoughts brought him back to his strange bug friend he met once in their dreams. He wonders how they were doing after not seeing each other for a while. He plans to see them again once he feels okay enough.That was the initial plan,  until he hears a light tapping on the glass sliding doors.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 123





	A Reunion of Two Wyrms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StygiusCantus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StygiusCantus/gifts).



> This is a sorta spin-off sequel to the fanfic Somnus written by StyguisCantus, but this one takes place in between the events of I Am My Monster and The Future. The only difference here is that Ghost manages to go back and achieve the “Embrace the Void” ending and becomes God of Gods, but can still be their tiny self as pleased.
> 
> It will play out differently since this was written before Insomnium came out, but I hope you guys at least enjoy ^^'

The later hours of the evening had just begun as Steven sighed heavily and lied on his bed, staring up at the ceiling by himself. No one else was here except himself only, just as he requested.

Nearly a week had gone by since his corruption, attempted destruction towards Beach City, and his meltdown, yet he still felt like walking on eggshells until now. Thankfully, no one got hurt during his monstrous rampage, but he still felt guilty after what his monster self had done. It wasn’t his intention in becoming one of those dangerous corrupted gem monsters in his childhood, but he just can’t take it anymore. All the excessive stress and continuous denial piled up so much within him that the burning sensation became so unbearable, he blacked out and transformed into the manifestation he thought he would be.

His family and friends helped him and supported him during his bad days, but he finds himself wanting to shy away from their company more than to seek comfort from them. He even had to provide some safe distance away from Connie, who promised that she will take care of him this time. He didn’t want her to feel bad and do these things for him only, but she constantly reassures him that it is not bothering her at all. She was willing to help him out, which was something he should be grateful for after what he had done. But, it still continues to devour him alive, this guilt nestling within the bridges of his heart and mind.

As much as he wanted to be with his family and friends, there were moments where he enjoys being alone. Not that he likes to be a loner, but he wants to find time contemplating and recollecting his thoughts on his own. He found out a bit later that he gets mentally exhausted very easily. Even at his usual routines every day, he gets exhausted quickly and would plop his whole body on the bed or the couch more often than walking inside the house. He barely did anything productive during his slump, but no one even forced him to do so.

Greg mentioned that he shall plan a schedule for his therapy, which was advisable according to Dr. Maheswaran to aid in Steven’s recovery. He was grateful enough that he offered to help him, but he wasn’t too sure if the therapy could handle everything he had been through or not if those kinds of problems were gem-related or leaning to the more human side of things. It was for his own good, after all.

“Ugh…” He groaned heavily and held his slowly aching head. He was thinking too much at this point, it was developing into a kind of migraine. He inhaled and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his nerves and focus on a mental list of peaceful things to distract himself from his conflicting thoughts. Like… watching the dimming night skies with its deep blue and rich purple hues, listening to some old classics in his dad’s days, or basking in the silence near the edge of the crystalline blue lake or the cliff tops with his friend Ghost-

…

…..

_…Ghost._

“Ghost…” His eyes reopened slowly as he spoke that particular name in a nostalgic whisper, a name that he hasn’t heard for such a long time. It was strange though, how he was able to recall that sapient bug friend of his that he only met within the dream realm. Though, it had been almost a few weeks since his last visit to their dream realm, before all this mess occurred. He missed spending time with them, not doing much but just sitting by and watching in comfortable silence at the scenery presented in front of the two. 

When they first met each other, it was a rather strange and awkward meeting since his companion wasn’t much of a talker, or perhaps generally mute and lets actions speak louder than words. Eventually, their nightly meetings metamorphosized into a strange friendship that is indescribable to put into words. A human hybrid and an anthropomorphic bug creature becoming friends was something not to be expected, but here they are. They had both once seen a glimpse of their terrible pasts, but they then saved each other from those nightmares.

He had to admit it, he already misses their quiet presence lately ever since he placed his dream visiting hours on hiatus. Sure, the bug probably wouldn’t worry so much about him, but he couldn’t help but think that Ghost would come looking for him or even thinking about him. It might be possible that they could be waiting on any steel bench or iconic landmarks that their dream world contains, or perhaps waiting by the so-called Tram or the Stag Stations, even though there wouldn’t be any of those large stag beetles to ride on.

‘It has been a long time huh… I wonder how they are…Maybe once I can get my bearings straight enough, I could go see them again in my dreams and meet them as usual…’ Steven thought to himself. ‘In the meantime, maybe sleeping early should help lessen those nightmares I’ve been having lately…’ He sighed softly and shut his eyes close again, bracing himself for the weighing embrace of slumber to completely claim him. 

Until-

_Tap tap tap!_

His eyes twitched open as he jolted awake from the loud tapping on the glass door, his glass sliding doors. Wait what?

_Tap tap tap tap!_

Who could it be, he cannot tell who it is since it was getting too dark to see who is standing outside. Even though his room was fairly illuminated, he still cannot make out any figure of the person that was standing behind the sliding doors. It might have been Jasper, but it couldn’t possibly be her since it isn’t heavy or aggressive enough to be her knocking, or even her to know the concept of knocking. It can be some random person or another rogue gem-like Bluebird Azurite but he doubts that would ever happen since his whole family was keeping guard of the household while he was in the process of recovery. Still, he had to keep his senses alert for anything to come crashing in, despite how unnerving it can-

**_Tap! Tap! Tap!_ **

…Okay, he was sure a passing shudder came through his spine when the tapping became louder and more gradual than the last.

“W-Who’s there?” He called out shakily, now wondering who could that person be. No response came, unfortunately. Soon, the tapping grew even louder and louder, he feared that whoever was outside might break the doors or even the walls if he didn't do anything about it. Swallowing and summoning whatever courage he could muster out of his fatigue, he stood up from his bed and went over to the glass doors. Taking a deep breath to steady his heartbeat, he slid them open as he peeks his head outside to see the mysterious visitor or trespasser.

Imagine his utter shock and disbelief at the very moment he laid his eyes on the familiar figure that stood silently in front of him

Even as time goes by very fast, he could not forget every little detail that his companion from the dreamscape manifests. He had the entire mental image of them engraved in his mind ever since. The light coming from his bedroom reflected on the ivory white shell adorned with a pair of curved horns and pointed tips that his friend possesses. The silvery gray weapon with intricate designs sheathed on their back contrasted the dark colors of the flowing tattered cloak that they were always wearing. Their body was still the cold, endless black that matches the hollow eyeholes that the shell has as well. Everything about them was still the same as he remembered, except for the crack on their shell, which has seemingly become this silvery-white seam that holds both halves of the shell together. Yes, this was what his bug friend looks like in their shared dreams. 

Except… this is not a dream at all. In fact, he hasn’t started dreaming either.

“…Ghost…?” Steven finally spoke up in a hushed whisper after staring at his friend for a considerable long time, still not believing that it was them standing in front of him, waiting for him. Physically waiting for him outside. “Y-You’re here! B-But how…?! That… that can’t be possible, I-I might be seeing things! It can’t be-“

He abruptly stopped speaking to himself and felt a little shiver going through him as he felt a cold yet soothing pair of nubby hands caressing his fleshy warm one. He hesitantly looked down to see Ghost grasping his hand and looking up towards him, their not-so empty gaze meeting his own soulful one. He inhaled sharply and got down on his knees, letting a fragile smile form from the corners of his lips as he looked at them. He couldn’t believe it with his own eyes. They are here, standing idly in front of him.

“It… It really is you…” Steven shakily whispered as the tiny Knight nodded in response. They managed to approach him closer and greet his friend with a hug, which he happily returned back. 

\----------------------

It was hard for them to express how much they missed the fellow Wyrm so much, as soon as they notice that he stops visiting them in their dreams abruptly.

At first, they knew and understood that the wyrm had duties of his own that he needed to accomplish, so their scheduled meetings would delay from time to time. However, as days went by, by the time Ghost sat on the bench surrounded in masses of Greenpath’s ever-flourishing greenery, a realization finally struck them out of nowhere.

More than a week had gone by since Steven’s last visit. No, it wasn’t just a week. It had been _months_ , almost a year since- ... Why had they not noticed it sooner?

The more they think about him and wonder what made him cease his meetings with them, the more their worries begin to bubble and froth within their void-like bodies. Vessels weren’t supposed to feel such emotions themselves, but their entire being begged to differ. It was the same feeling they had when they lost sight of Quirrel, the only other considered companion and friend besides Steven that they found solace with.

Ghost soon became restless. Never in their treacherous life had they cared so much about a Wyrm more than any other bug they could list down. Wyrms for them are powerful in their own accord, but to have concern over one is an understatement. By the time the third week of not meeting them came by, Ghost finally came to a decision.

If he for some reason was unable to visit their dreams anymore, _they_ shall search for a way to be able to visit him, in the conscious world. No matter what the cost might be.

_No cost too great…_

_… Even if it was for another Wyrm’s sake._

That was the time when they stumbled across the golden utopia residing in the dream realm.

_Godhome…_

“You must have been waiting for me for so long huh…”

Ghost shook off their thoughts when they heard Steven speaking behind them after he let them get comfortable within the confines of his sanctuary called a bedroom. They weren’t too familiar with the modern décor themselves, nor even experienced the idea of a homely shelter with decent furniture and a safe space to rest (except areas with benches of course). But, if it felt better than living in the dark and dreary Abyss, they wouldn’t argue at all. After resting their nail on the bedside drawer near a well-fashioned lamp with fabric over instead of a snail shell, they sat cross-legged in front of Steven and looked at him quietly as always, responding with a nod of their shell.

“I’m really sorry for not visiting you for a long time, Ghost.” Their companion smiled sheepishly, looking off at the side while scratching the back of his head. “I was recently dealing with some… personal issues lately… very troubling issues that… I had to hold off the dream meetings until I could sort this out..”

Ghost shook their head and rubbed his warm hand as a response, reassuring him that it is no problem to them at all. They immediately took note of the lack of bright colored fabrics that they usually see him wearing almost all the time. He was wearing only an ebony black shirt with the trademark star symbol in the middle, his pants, and the foot wrappings, which to this day they still don’t know what they were called. 

“How was your dream realm back there? Everything okay?” Steven inquired as he glanced back down at them. They nodded in reply, still holding his hand. He gave them a smile and let out a soft chuckle, followed by a sigh.

“I-It’s not even a dream either… isn’t it? But… how could this be…? How did you get here? Most importantly, how’d you know where I lived?”

Ghost stiffened a little, replied with a shake of their head as if it wasn’t an important topic to discuss. They didn’t know how to answer those string of questions being fired directly at them, nor do they want to give them the answer. He should not know about it for now. He should not know about what transpired at the golden pavilion.

_Nor of what they had become in order to meet him here..._

“Oh alright… b-but I’m still happy that you came to see me though!” They heard him stammer, taking the hint that he doesn’t want to look like he is upset. They do not mind, as long as they assure that Steven is alive and well. 

Ghost then took their time to examine more of Steven’s bedroom, taking note of the objects that they see as strange or very new to them. Unique banners, oddly aesthetic paintings, and unfamiliar looking antiques and technology that was hugely different from the ones back in Hallownest, including the White Palace (which for them was ridiculously and insanely hazardous than helpful).

Their gaze finally fell onto the two picture frames resting on top of a wooden dresser, to which they pointed towards them while looking up curiously at Steven. Their friend blinked, glancing over to them before picking the two frames up.

“Oh, those people are my family, Ghost. Well… my main one out of my other extended family members at least.” Steven showed the pictures for them to inspect each of Steven’s family. The first one consisted of three feminine looking Wyrms with different color palettes; The top one was squarish looking and emits a composed aura, the skinny one who is rather as pale as the former monarch but as colorful as Steven, and the shortest reminded them of their deceased friend Cloth. The other picture has one Wyrm that has some resemblance to Steven despite his exposed crown and the one next to him with pink curls flowing gracefully around her face resembles greatly the White Lady. 

"They are pretty great people once you get to meet them!" Steven sighed with a wavering smile. "Yeah, maybe one day…" He then placed the picture frame down, pausing for a moment to stare at the image before sighing again and shaking their head. He seems troubled for some reason, they deduced. He then gazed back at Ghost, his smile returning a little.

“Well since you're here now, wanna do something in the meantime?"

\-----

It was already getting late by the time he finished the eighth episode of the rebooted Camp Pining Hearts. Still awful as always, but Ghost had been drawn to the screen at the entirety. Well, he was right about one thing: The idea of motion pictures wasn't invented in their world. Or maybe they do have, but not in a more technical way.

Steven stifled a yawn and stretched his arms wide, glancing at Ghost who sat on their lap calmly. “Well, it’s time for me to hit the hay and call it a day."

They hopped off his lap as he stood up and stretched his arms. He switched off the television and yawned again as he got onto the bed and readied the comforter. He laid himself with a sigh and covered his body up in the thick sheets and was just about to doze off from there. However, he felt a slight dip on his pillow and glanced over to his left to see Ghost just sitting next to him quietly, staring at him.

“....You’re going to watch over me while I sleep?” Receiving a nod as a reply, he smiled a little, despite the idea sounding a little creepy. But it’s Ghost, so he shouldn’t worry so much about that. “Mm… I guess if it’s you, it should be fine. Just try not to get yourself caught by anyone if they ever come upstairs to check on me, okay? They could mistake you for some hostile monster and attack you…"

Ghost shook their head and patted his face reassuringly. Wishing them a good night, Steven closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep slumber, the Knight remained sitting idly next to their face. The minutes ticked by as they kept watch of him. Sometimes they get off the bed and would wander the room a bit more to examine the other strange objects they found littering on the floor. Sometimes they took quick peeks downstairs, making sure they weren’t spotted by anyone then returning back to Steven to continue their watch.

Three hours went by, they counted mentally, but Ghost remained awake. Too many thoughts were circulating around their mind that prevented them from sleeping, mainly thoughts about Steven’s absence. What was bothering him for so long? What made him stop visiting them and the dream realm for so many days? The Knight wondered while glancing at their wyrm friend’s sleeping face. He seems calm. Nothing was off about him. Nothing at-

“Hrrngh…”

They perked when they heard a groan. They looked back at him and was slightly alarmed when he started to squirm and convulse underneath the comforter. 

“Ghaah… ngaah… no… no no no…!”

He looked like he was being crushed with something heavy, like he was bound by invisible chains, unable to escape from an inevitable punishment coming closer and closer. The knight was now in full alarm at his distressed state. Another nightmare perhaps? Or a grievous night terror that shackled him helplessly? What kind of struggling did he go through? 

They had to find out themselves, whether he likes it or not.

  
  


The Knight first retrieved their Pure Nail and sheathed it behind their back before going over to Steven. They stood back then withdrew something from underneath their cloak, the glistening metal hilt of the bladeless nail peeking out. The glowing purplish-white aura emanating out of the Dream Nail cast a soft light over their faces as they brought it out. The now awakened power of the nail would allow them to enter the dreams or memories of anyone, even those that were sealed off or kept within the deeper parts of their unconsciousness. They didn’t want to be intrusive but…

He wouldn’t mind if they get a glimpse of what his dreams currently look like, right? This is for his sake after all.

With that thought in mind, they charged the Dream Nail with the essence before swinging it down on Steven. Not noticing the TV suddenly switching on and in static….

\----

The place they ended up eerily reminded them of the time they fought the Radiance.

If it wasn’t for the colors reflecting out of the clouds, they would have assumed that the Radiance was the one that caused Steven’s suffering. But no, this was different. Instead of the typical golden fog, masses of swirling pink clouds shrouded the majority of this dream realm. It seems fine. Seemingly fine. 

They then ventured into the realm, searching around for any sign of Steven within the dense clouds. There they saw it, a huddled figure at the very center of the large platform. They dashed over to the figure’s direction then crept a bit closer before laying a tender hand on their back.

“Gah!” Ghost jumped back from startling the wyrm. Steven heaved, his eyes widened when he noticed their presence. “G-Ghost?! What’re doing here? Y-You shouldn’t be here!”

Ghost was giving him a look that would ask the same question before the corner of their vision caught a small glimmer coming from Steven’s hand. They pointed to his hand, for which he gasped and quickly hid it behind his back. “Haha! I-It’s just nothing to be so concerned about, Ghost! Everything’s fine, I swear!” He laughed nervously, sweating a bit. 

No, he’s not fine. They don’t believe that.

They suddenly threw their hands up and unleashed a horrifying shriek conjured from their soul magic that not only terrified Steven, with him assuming that he got Ghost mad, but also made him drop the hidden object onto the ground. Fragments of orange and tan-colored crystals spilled out and scattered next to him, seemingly lifeless but Ghost sensed they weren’t just crystals.

Those fragments used to have a whole life…

“No… no no no…” Steven backed away in fear as he quickly gathered them up. I-It’s not what you think… I-I-I didn’t… I didn’t do this…! I didn’t shatter her, I-I-I didn’t mean to…! It wasn’t me…!” His face scrunched up as he trembled with intense fear. Suddenly, the clouds in front of them shifted and formed into two larger silhouettes, the other one that ominously resembled Steven but much more muscular and… radiating a pink glow. 

He covered his eyes. He didn’t want to play out that fight again. He didn’t want to recall anything of it. But now his bug friend witnessed it, the fight between him and Jasper.

Concluded with him shattering her.

Ghost couldn’t believe it at first, that Steven would ever do such a thing. But just by looking at the hulked up form of their wyrm friend… it sends chills deep down. Was this one of the events that he underwent? No, their friend isn’t a shatterer! He isn’t someone who would do such a thing! And yet… while he was still curled up into a ball, the clouds started to shift and transformed into his other most recent yet dreaded memories. A courtship that went south and dreary, the accumulation of past trauma taking the form of his swelling up, an argument with his paternal wyrm, the last one… with the familiar figure they saw before but this time the roles reversed… and he was going to do it…

Great Pale Wyrm, what had happened to him? Why was he punished so severely? Why do these memories even belong to him? He doesn’t deserve them at all! He is a good person! A good wyrm!

“Stay away from me… please...”

The Knight turned back to face Steven’s crouching form, already undergoing some changes. His body began to glow bright pink, starting to resemble so much like the pink silhouette shown before. Ghost shook their head, for they are here in the first place because they want to help him. They tried to reach out to him, to reassure him that it is going to be okay. That they will not run away from him, even after what he had done.

“I SAID STAY AWAY!!”

A shockwave erupted out of him and Ghost was nearly thrown off balance out of the platform. Thankfully, it didn’t deal any damage to their shell. They tried again but then paused, seeing his chest rise and fall as he heaved.

“You’ve seen what I did there, Ghost! I did those messed up things! EVERYTHING!” Steven snapped, raising his glistening eyes towards them. They remained still, letting him speak. “Everything came back to haunt me, it made me feel so trapped! I couldn’t even visit because of all this burden! I don’t want you to see any of this at all! My life’s nothing but a fallacy, a sick fantasy! What am I supposed to be then?! Am I a human? Am I a Gem, a Crystal Gem? Am I a Diamond? Am I Pink Diamond?! Am I even Steven Universe?!” He shook his head violently. “NO! I’m nothing but a fraud, a mistake! A DESTROYER!”

**_“I’M A MONSTER!!”_ **

As soon as he cried that out in a loud voice, almost like a roar, a pillar consisting of thousands of pink crystals soon burst out from his back, encasing him into an egg-shaped pink chrysalis, cocooning his entire frame. If Ghost could only cry out, they would have cried out his name as they watched all of this happening in front of them. They brought out their nail and tried to break him out of the chrysalis. 

At the fourth swing, they stopped. An unsettling feeling filled the atmosphere around them as they glanced around the realm. The pink clouds were gradually turning dark, twisting and squirming into a stormless sky. The bright pink faded down to a midnight purple, except for the glowing chrysalis.

And that is when they felt a rumble.

They looked back at the massive chrysalis, now becoming even more massive as it enlarged itself little by little. Then, it cracked open and a clawed hand sprang forth from the crystal chrysalis. They quickly backed away and watched as a pink bipedal dinosaur-like Wyrm emerged and broke free from its crystalline prison. The beast had pinkish-white crystal horns and tusks adorned on its head and face, crystal spikes lined its back, forearms, and sides of its neck, and their scales were as coarse as volcanic rocks. They brought out their weapon and positioned themselves to fight, but something gleaming caught their attention. Their field of vision wandered over to the gem embedded in the beast’s abdomen.

_It was Steven’s gem._

The void in their body turned frozen cold. This beast towering over them… this was Steven. The once jubilant and friendly Wyrm companion they once knew… became this monstrosity. 

The monster- No, Steven- let out a guttural roar into the darkened sky, a cry of combined agony and pain as he started to thrash around in mindless fury. The Knight immediately dodged away, avoiding being crushed under his feet. The fog hazed around them, synchronizing his movements as he flailed and writhed in a violent manner. They managed to narrowly escape to a different platform out of his claw’s reach.

Is this the night terror that was binding him? Is this some form of Dream Boss they had to fight in order to free him?

No… No, this is Steven they are facing right now, not a Dream Boss. Not the Radiance nor the Nightmare King but just… Steven himself. But they know the Steven they remembered was kind and considerate. This isn’t what Steven is. He is not a monster. He is not a tyrant nor a ferocious beast.

_He is a friend._

_And friends got each other’s backs no matter how dire the situation can be._

They have to save him. They have to save their Wyrm friend. They have to get Steven back, awake him from the nightmare delivered by his inner demons. Bringing down his beast would be the only viable option to do so, but this is nothing compared to fighting the moth goddess. They doubted that even with their upgraded blade or their soul magic, it isn’t powerful enough to take him down. 

_Leaving them with…_

Ghost sheathed their nail and they started to focus deeply, calling out to their Siblings and the Void slumbering within the depths of the Abyss, calling out to them through the telepathic link they equally shared. The black and silver gleam of the Void Heart emitted a faint glow, the distorted static filling their head, and suffocated their insides with an indescribable burning heat. The grounds below the two started to darken, much more than the stormy grey and purple skies soaring above. 

Soon, Ghost’s entire body was shrouded in pitch-black darkness as they became one with the Void once more. Their former tiny self soon became larger and larger the more they fused themselves with the writhing Void until it became an enlarged mass of unknown darkness. Soon, tendrils composed of void sprouted out from the mass then two pairs of arms emerged from the sides as these supported the growing entity. Their head of multiple antlers raised up as the entity finally opened their four pairs of glowing eyes, the Void Given Focus reawakened once more.

Steven noticed a new presence and growled at the unfamiliar yet familiar intruder. He doesn’t want them to bother him, he doesn’t want anyone else to barge right in and interrupt his rampage. Letting out a roar, he lowered his head as he charged, aiming directly towards the entity, but they were faster compared to him as they managed to dodge the incoming attack. He halted and started to swivel to prepare for another attack only to be lashed by a huge tendril of compressed void. The entity soon darted towards him though and tackled him down with their arms, their spare tendrils attempting to pin him and keep him in place.

It took them a few tries because he was resisting and struggling violently so much. Their power levels were neck to neck with each other, so there is neither a win or lose scenario between the two near godly beasts. At the third try, monster Steven tried to blast them away with his powerful shockwave attack, but the Shade Lord evaded almost effortlessly and continued their task at hand. Eventually, they managed to ensnare the scaly beast and pinned him to the nearly crumbling ground.

The Shade Lord coiled themselves around Steven to restrain him, but not too much as they do not want to instill panic for their wyrm. His beast continued to thrash despite their gentle restraining, letting out grunts of pain and agony while clawing on the ground. It was still unbearable; the memories, the wrath, the loud ringing in the beast’s skull trying to render him deaf of everything around him. He can’t escape from them, he can’t destroy them, he can’t he can’t he-

He let out something that sounded like a whimper, almost similar to a dog’s, squeezing his eyes closed. Recognizing his pain and suffering, the void entity held his face gently in their hands, being extra delicate the same way they were to the mourning lover’s flower of farewell. They soon closed their eyes as they pressed their seemingly thick head against his.

**“....** **_friend...friend…”_ **

Their recently acquired yet distorted mental voice, a voice they could only have and not a physical voice, echoed loudly in Steven’s head, making him growl and wince. He didn’t want another voice to-

“ **_.... here...now…. am here now…”_ **

...Wait. Who is here? He was afraid but he continued to listen, his growls haven’t ceased just yet.

“ **_Waiting… waiting for you… waiting for you… for many moons…”_ **

For him? Waiting for him for that long? But why? Why waiting for him matters for them? All he did was destruction and possibly even more destruction. Why was he important for them to wait for such a long time?

**_“... I heard your silent cries…”_ **

He froze.

**_“They told me… they felt you… and now…_ ** **I** **_heard you…”_ **

The entity continued to speak through his mind, feeling his beast slowly becoming less tense within their coils. **_“What was shown to us earlier… the deeds that you have caused… that caused the beginnings of your great suffering….it does not change the friendship we have established from past moons ago…”_ **

The beast shook with fear and uncertainty. He didn’t know if he should believe those words that drowned the screeching static in his head or not. But those words… those words alone held a strange warmth. A lingering warmth that makes their heart ache so badly...

**_“...you are still our friend… those wyrms you bonded with… they are there for you always.. it will never change… even if you say we should stay clear from you… you do not deserve this eternal suffering alone…so, please… heed our words, dear friend… we are here now… just as you were here for us...”_ **

The entity soon lifted their head up and saw Steven leaking a huge stream of tears, choking on his whimpers as he openly sobbed in front of them. He soon lay down on his belly and hid his face as he and his beast cried uncontrollably, for which they did not mind and let him. The storms above them gradually passed, leaving them a sky of rosy pink and lavender purple greeting them courteously. 

They let themselves bask in each other’s company, not caring that the world around them slowly starts to dissolve in a blanket of blinding white...

.

.

.

_…_

_…st…_

_…ost…_

_Ghost…!_

**_GHOST…!_ **

Ghost awoke from the illusion of the dream and found themselves back in the bedroom. They felt a gentle cold feeling gliding across their shell, and when they reached out to touch it, it was wet. Looking up to the source, their eyes met the crying face of their Wyrm friend spilling rivers of tears on their shell. He felt a tingling sensation, almost like his tears possess some form of power, but they simply ignored that.

“I’m so sorry, Ghost… I’m so sorry…” Steven wiped his face hastily before picking the Knight up. He pulled them into a tight hug, as they rubbed circles on his back to soothe him. “I-I didn’t want you to see it… I didn’t want you to see what I had turned into before… I’m so sorry, I just… hch, I just don’t want you to get hurt b-because of me…”

Ghost shook their head. What they had seen doesn’t change their views towards him. He may have caused a disaster, but that won’t deter them away from him. After a few sobs got out of him, Steven wiped his face again and looked down at them. “Ghost… that form I saw in my dreams… was that…?”

Ghost tilted their head down and gave him a reluctant nod, squeezing his hand. Steven looked like he understood and patted their shell. “You didn’t have to do that nor tell the story behind it, really… but… thank you.” They saw his genuine smile, and it was enough. They buried their face onto his chest as he cuddled him in return. Steven then turned his face over to the view beyond the glass doors. 

“It’s morning already…” He got up and put on his slippers before getting out of bed, Ghost still snuggled in his arms. He slid open the doors as the Knight looked up and turned their gaze towards the beach.

The sound of crashing waves echoed as its waters reflected the golden rays of the sun emerging from the horizon. At the loft, Steven and Ghost watched its rising peacefully, the cool early morning breeze blowing lightly onto them. For once, everything was just calm, just right for both of them. No voices that cry for suffering, nor inner demons. Just the two of them.

A human and a bug wishing for a brighter future ahead of them.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> GOOD GRIEF THIS TOOK ME FOREVER TO FINISH!
> 
> But I hope you guys enjoy this gift fic!
> 
> (Fun Fact: I imagined Steven's crystal cocoon to resemble closely to the Quick Slash charm and that image engraved in my mind even until now.)


End file.
